State-of-the-art brain scanners offer ‘incredible opportunities’ for dementia research
16 November 2020
At a virtual event hosted by SONA (the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa), DPUK’s Imaging Network lead, Professor Franklin Aigbirhio, explained how PET-MR scanners are enhancing dementia research.
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome: a treatable memory disorder
9 November 2020
We most often associate the symptoms of dementia with high-profile conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s. But dementia comes in many forms, and has many causes.
Vascular dementia: investigating cognitive impairment with 2,000 stroke survivors
21 October 2020
Stroke and vascular dementia are intrinsically related, with both being a risk factor for the other. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh led by Professor Joanna Wardlaw are studying stroke patients to learn more about the cognitive impairment that often follows a stroke, thanks to a grant from DPUK that allowed them to get started.
Symptomatic drugs for cognitive impairment in dementia: what to expect?
Dr Ivan Koychev, of DPUK and Oxford University's Department of Psychiatry, writes about new research into the effectiveness of drugs to treat the symptoms of dementia.
New podcast: DPUK's Professor John Gallacher on the future of dementia research
27 July 2020
We caught up with Professor John Gallacher, Director of Dementias Platform UK and Professor of Cognitive Health at Oxford University, to get his thoughts on the current state of play in dementia research – and what the future might hold.
Coronavirus care: supporting loved ones with dementia
1 June 2020
Supporting a family member through dementia is not easy, and the extra challenges introduced by the coronavirus lockdown can make matters even more challenging. Guest blogger Ruby Clarkson summarises the best advice and the help that's available.
Dementia prevention beyond educational attainment
There is mounting evidence suggesting that education has lifelong benefits that promote good health, and that it is more than a ‘gateway’ to a higher socioeconomic status. Pamela Almeida-Meza – PhD student in UCL’s Department of Behavioural Science and Health explains the nuances of the latest research findings in this area.
Pioneering stem cell research into dementia
Induced pluripotent stem cells are a special type of stem cell that's proving to be a crucial element in the fight to find the first life-changing treatment for dementia. Bryan Ng is one of the DPUK researchers who has been using them to study the cellular changes that take place when dementia takes hold.
Lockdown diary: doing dementia research in a time of coronavirus
27 March 2020
Distant colleagues, a screen-based social life and perhaps some home-schooling, has become the new normal for most of us now. Although some clinical researchers will be retraining to support coronavirus efforts, those who work with big data will be at home, doing their best to carry on there. Dementia research doesn’t stop in a time of corona – but it certainly changes. Dr Michele Veldsman, a dementia data researcher, is tracking her experience.
ECR journeys: from teaching English to exploring the impact of childhood traumas
Dr Delia Gheorghe is a postdoctoral research assistant at DPUK, investigating how childhood experiences influence brain structure in later life. This is how she got here.
ECR journeys: new steps from a small grant
Sometimes it’s only a small thing that triggers the changes that can lead to a dramatic step in your career. Here, Luke Whiley, an analytical chemist by training, reminds researchers to look out for opportunities in the small stuff. He tells the story of how a relatively small grant has taken him far in his career in dementia research – to the other side of the world in fact!
In conversation: Sarah Bauermeister and Chris Orton reflect on our most recent DPUK datathons
Two datathons in two weeks - autumn has certainly been busy season for the DPUK datathon team who have crossed the country to support a host of new dementia studies get off the ground. If you missed out on the DPUK datathons in UEA and Swansea, there are many more in the pipeline – don’t worry!
World Diabetes Day: Chemical changes in blood affect risk of developing other diseases
Luke Whiley won a DPUK grant to investigate gut-brain interactions. On World Diabetes Day, he writes about the links between bacteria, diabetes and dementia.
Keeping our brains healthy to reduce dementia risk
Research shows that our lifestyles can affect the health of our brains, and that making a few positive changes can help protect us as we get older. Dr Ivan Koychev is a clinician-scientist at Dementias Platform UK and a senior clinical researcher in Oxford University’s Department of Psychiatry.
It’s time to explore divergent dementia trends in the UK and Japan to inform policies to reduce dementia risk
Can cultural differences also affect the risk of developing dementia? If so, there could be important policy implications. Dr Dorina Cadar is part of an international team of researchers doing cross-country comparative with UK and Japanese cohorts.
Did you know about the gigantic cohort study hidden in Wales?
Whilst working with one of the UK’s biggest GP databases, DPUK scientist, Tim, realised how valuable it could be for dementia research. Here, the researcher who created one of DPUK’s biggest, most representative cohorts describes how other researchers can use the resource to answer the big questions in dementia research.
Why junior researchers benefit from datathon events
Dr Sarah Bauermeister is passionate about developing younger scientists in dementia research. We asked her why datathons are such a great opportunity for them.
What it takes to launch a world-scale Alzheimer’s study
More than 100 researchers, 19 organisations, eight sites, and a fearless team conducting it all. DFP trial co-ordinator Tony Thayanandan gives the inside track on what it’s like to be part of such ambitious research.
Universities and industry are different – and that’s exactly why we need to work together in dementia research
Universities don’t make drugs – that’s the job of the pharmaceutical companies. There are other typical divides across academia and industry too: the expertise is different, the resources are different and the ways of working are different. But that’s no reason not to work together – in fact it’s precisely why we need to. Dr Iain Chessell heads the neuroscience therapy area in AstraZeneca, one of DPUK’s industry partners.
Can ELSA advance dementia research into the impact of socioeconomic factors on dementia?
The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing is a representative cohort of the English population in the DPUK Data Portal – it has unique data with some real potential for cross-cohort dementia research. 2002 is the year it got started, 18,000 is the number of participants, eight is the number of times they have done medical tests, and 65 is their average age now. If you are interested in dementia research and have not considered using this valuable health study yet, Dorina Cader explains why you should.